Washington (CNN) - The person who Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid calls "the most powerful man in Washington" - and who "has the entire Republican Party in the palm of his hand" - visited Capitol Hill Thursday for a briefing with House GOP members and their aides.

But even before anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist entered the ornate Ways and Means Committee hearing room to talk about tax reform on Thursday, Democrats pounced, saying his appearance proves the GOP is beholden to one man's uncompromising position against any tax increases. They also sought to highlight recent reports that Norquist may be losing some support among Republicans.- Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker

Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich, appeared in the hallway outside the GOP session to criticize Republicans for "holding royal court for the person who single-mindedly is determined to prevent a balanced approach to deficit reduction."

Norquist was invited to brief House Republicans on the "pledge," a written oath his group, Americans for Tax Reform, urges candidates running for office to sign to show their constituents they will oppose any legislation that raises taxes.

Even though the vast majority - 238 - of House Republicans have already signed the pledge, Norquist told reporters the purpose of the meeting was to explain how the pledge fits into the debate Congress has begun on tax reform. But he also said it was a chance to respond to Democrats who he says are misrepresenting what it means.

"The pledge is not to me. The pledge is to the American people," Norquist emphasized repeatedly to the throng of television cameras and reporters waiting outside the meeting.

After the meeting Norquist responded directly, and in very personal terms, to Reid, saying of the top Senate Democrat is, "flailing around, he wants to have an argument with me. I'm not running for office, his Senators are and he's making them march off the tax increase, big spending cliff with him and the modern Democratic Party along with Obama."

He referred to Reid at one time as "desperate" and at another time called him "scared."

Democrats argue the pledge is the single biggest reason they have been unable to get a bipartisan agreement to reduce the deficit and deal with the host of tax cuts that are expiring at the end of this year. Reid, who virtually never misses a chance when he speaks to reporters to mention Norquist, opened his press conference with top Senate leaders Thursday noting that Norquist was due to arrive across the Capitol.

"The leader of Republican party is up here today, on the Hill. But you may be surprised to learn that it's not Mitt Romney, it's not John Boehner, and it's not Mitch McConnell. You know who it is. It's Grover Norquist," Reid said.

Also seizing on the meeting, the House Democrats' campaign arm circulated press releases targeting 60 Republicans in competitive districts around the country saying they were aligned with Norquist.

One release singled out Maryland Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, who faces a tough challenge in the Democratic-leaning state. "Rather than creating jobs and preventing student loan rates from doubling for 7 million families, today House Republicans like Congressman Bartlett are learning new ways to defend their indefensible pledge to protect subsidies for millionaires, Big Oil and companies that ship jobs overseas," Jesse Ferguson, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee wrote.

Recently some Republicans have indicated they are open to breaking the pledge. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said he could sign onto a deal that would trade ten dollars in spending cuts in return for one dollar in new revenue, a position that would violate the pledge.

"If there are loopholes that could be closed, help pay down the deficit, I don't want to tie myself up in knots, I want the option of being able to do what needs to be done to help the country," Tisei said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer sought to highlight the divisions within the GOP on the pledge, saying the Norquist "blitz" on Thursday was "a sign of weaknesses."

"His relevance has been openly questioned for the first time lately and he's in full damage control," Schumer added.

But Norquist told reporters that more Republican candidates had signed the pledge this election cycle than in 2010, and cited GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's commitment to blocking any attempts to increase taxes.

House Republicans are drafting a bill the House will vote on next month that would extend the so-called "Bush-era" tax cuts that are expiring at the end of December for another year and lay out their plan to lower tax rates across the board.

Asked about some in his party who may be wavering on the pledge, House Speaker John Boehner restated his opposition to tax increases – comparing raising taxes to enabling a drug addict.

"Giving this government more revenue would be like giving a cocaine addict who wants to quit more cocaine," Boehner said.

But the Speaker, who failed to reach a deal last summer with President Barack Obama on a "grand bargain," which many conservative Republicans believe would have broken Norquist's pledge, also seemed to welcome more discussion among those in his party about "loophole closings" or 'tax increases," saying, "I hope they resolve it all actually."

I'm trying to bite my tongue, but I just can't. Grover Norquist is a ENEMY of the U.S.!!! Any member of Congress who took up his oath is a TRAITOR and should be tried for TREASON!!!! I'm going to keep my true feelings inside about what should happen to our enemies and traitors. We alll know what Thomas Jefferson did to a traitor on the lawn of the White House.

June 22, 2012 09:08 am at 9:08 am |

HenryMiller

The Democratic Party seems to have a few blind-spots–they just can't seem to understand that all the country's money isn't there to be spent as they want to dictate. They just don't get it how outraged a lot of America is that some of us work hard and pay outrageous taxes while half the population pays nothing and lives way too comfortably on the welfare cheques, food stamps, and freebies paid for by others. (Did you know that people getting TANF and food stamps also get a "free" phone, paid for by the rest of us?)

It shouldn't take Grover Norquist to demand that government understand that our money isn't their money.

June 22, 2012 09:28 am at 9:28 am |

v_mag

People on both sides are in the pockets of corporations, and those corporations are often in the control of organized crime. Just look at Sheldon Adelson, for instance. Even corporations that may not be controlled by the mafia will still have foreign ownership. How is it that we have let foreigner powers take over our government? Is there any hope of getting it back, short of a revolution?

June 22, 2012 09:29 am at 9:29 am |

Wayne

Norguist should have been arrested. Anyone that signs his pledge commits treason. Un-American activities are next to treason and it would seem that is all republicans do any more.

June 22, 2012 09:31 am at 9:31 am |

Canuck

The only pledge politicians should be making is to their electorate. Shame on America for allowing this.

June 22, 2012 09:34 am at 9:34 am |

Marie MD

I am glad that "conquest of the tea baggers" couldn't make it to Capitol Hill under cover of darkness.

June 22, 2012 09:42 am at 9:42 am |

Political Agnostic

Shouldn't the Oath of Office override any pledge?

June 22, 2012 09:52 am at 9:52 am |

Randy, San Francisco

The behind the scenes evil kingmaker, Norquist, finally appears to give marching orders to his minions. Did the GOP/Tea Party Senate and Congressional leadership bow down in respect and kiss his ring?

June 22, 2012 09:52 am at 9:52 am |

W l jones

He sound like a rich man who write-off the little tax he have to pay. A elector official have forgotten what the word we the people mean in our great country.,America America America us.

June 22, 2012 10:03 am at 10:03 am |

Indie in VA

"The pledge is not to me. The pledge is to the American people." Kind of a silly distinction to make when you were the one asking them to sign it, right? Get some common sense, dude.